BirdNote Daily

Black-and-white Warblers are tiny songbirds that breed in North America’s deciduous forests and winter as far south as Colombia. They feast on insects gleaned from leaves or plucked from cracks in tree bark. You’ll often find them clinging to tree trunks or the undersides of thick branches — acting more like a nuthatch than a warbler. Like many songbirds, Black-and-white Warblers migrate at night...

Let's have some fun and test your bird ID skills! This quiz features: an American Robin an Olive-sided Flycatcher, (like the photo above) a Red-tailed Hawk a Steller's Jay, which you're most likely to hear west of the Rockies and a Blue Jay, usually seen east of the Rockies. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to...

Cats love the outdoors, but they’re also one of the biggest threats to birds — killing as many as four billion a year in North America. Outdoor cats also live much shorter lives. Cynthia Chomos designed a cat patio or “catio” so that everyone can win. The enclosed outdoor space keeps both cats and birds safe. Learn more in season 1 of Bring Birds Back, available in your favorite podcast app! More...

We often think of birds migrating south in the fall. But many species kick off their big trips surprisingly early in the year. Shorebirds nesting in the Arctic tundra are an extreme example. Birds like the American Golden-Plover have a small window of time to build a nest, find a mate, and lay eggs in the short Arctic growing season. Golden-plovers actually leave their juvenile young behind to...

A male Buff-breasted Sandpiper courts a female on their breeding grounds far north of the Arctic Circle. He raises his wings, flashing their silvery-white undersides, as he sings his clicking serenade. These birds spend much of the year on grasslands in Argentina, migrating to the Arctic in late spring. In the lower 48, September is a good time to look for this long-distance traveler. During...

Every good investigator knows to stay vigilant for suspicious behavior. But not every unfamiliar bird is caw-se for alarm. In this episode of BirdNoir, Private Eye Michael Stein reveals that there’s more to a crow than meets the eye. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks....

Owls are magnificent animals that share our cities with us, and live in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. They range in size from huge, like the Blakiston’s Fish-Owl of Eastern Asia, to the songbird-sized Elf Owl, weighing less than half a deck of cards. Owls play key roles in their ecosystems and even help control pests such as non-native rodents. By giving these amazing birds...

White-winged Doves are common throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and North America’s Desert Southwest. Like the closely related Mourning Doves, they primarily eat seeds and grains. But in the Sonoran Desert, White-winged Doves time their migration to sync up with the Saguaros’ reproductive cycle – to the benefit of both species. The cacti provide doves with a crucial source of water in...

Some birds have always called nocturnally, but other species are relative newcomers to the nighttime music scene, specifically in urban areas. Birds such as European Robins often sing well into the night. Scientists are studying what environmental cues might lead to this behavior. While artificial light could be a factor, recent studies suggest that some birds may be avoiding daytime city noise...

The rainforests of Eastern and Northeastern Australia harbor many species of birds found almost nowhere else. This Eastern Whipbird — which is more often heard than seen — hangs out in the dense understory. Easier to lay eyes on is the large, pigeon-like Wompoo Fruit-Dove. Feathered in a stunning combination of green, purple, and yellow, this bird is clearly named for its voice. And a pig-like...